Transform small slips of paper into handwritten memorials for lost loved ones during Obon Weekend at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach.
Similar to Mexico’s Day of the Dead, Obon — being commemorated Saturday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 11 — is a time for families to reunite, as it’s believed ancestors return for a short time to visit their living relatives.
“This year, I’ll be filling out a slip in memory of my mother, who passed away last summer in Osaka, Japan,” said Miwako Patton, the museum’s marketing manager.
Since it opened in 1977, the museum has celebrated Obon, which commonly takes place over several days every August in Japan. Through the years, the traditional one-day festival has grown into a weekend-long celebration featuring taiko drummers, crafts, dance, garden strolls and the popular lantern ceremony on the lake in the evening.
This year, however, the museum’s patio renovation, which is part of an ongoing beautification project, has been delayed because of weather, forcing organizers to cancel its Lantern Dinner, according to museum director Bonnie LeMay.